tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post6560130476942603579..comments2024-03-22T12:11:58.453-06:00Comments on Michael Offutt: Abandoning your bookMichael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-81414664336473610042012-10-07T15:42:14.915-06:002012-10-07T15:42:14.915-06:00It sure is tough when you want everything to be pe...It sure is tough when you want everything to be perfect. I love it when I change a word or a phrase, just to change it back on the next editing round. That's when I know it's time to stop.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03060064276650474244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-14256919729057002712012-10-06T06:54:37.300-06:002012-10-06T06:54:37.300-06:00I totally hear you on this one. You probably guess...I totally hear you on this one. You probably guessed that though, considering it took me eleven years to get from first idea to final product. Even now, I'm still worried about decisions I could/should have made. But like you say, sooner or later, you have to abandon it! Cally Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313803959936813426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-60466339105471141422012-10-05T09:31:50.494-06:002012-10-05T09:31:50.494-06:00Aww, you mentioned me! If it helps you any, The Br...Aww, you mentioned me! If it helps you any, The Breakaway is doing amazingly well right now, and I still feel incredibly insecure about the book. In fact, I sometimes think it's the worst thing I've ever written. Notice I say the word "sometimes" ... my emotions for that book swing back and forth like you wouldn't believe. The problem is that I revisited it! And I revisited it because I had to revisit it in order to write the sequel. It was difficult not to call up my publisher and say, hey, there's like 800 things I'd like to tweak in The Breakaway. Can we do a second edition? Yeah, right! <br /><br />You're right that you need to be happy when you send a book out there. Being confident in your work ... even when you know it has flaws ... is the sign of a great writer, I think. :)Michelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-86409234011163396552012-10-05T01:56:00.260-06:002012-10-05T01:56:00.260-06:00Oh writer OCD, how I loathe thee *shakes fist at t...Oh writer OCD, how I loathe thee *shakes fist at the screen.<br /><br />Uh huh, says it all Mike.<br /><br />I sent my women's fiction novel out to about 6 critiquers. They all had excellent (and varied) responses to the novel. I eventually had to put the book aside and get some distance from the feedback because I wanted to revise based on everything.<br /><br />Eventually; you have to make a decision, use or not use what is offered, and be satisfied enough with the result to send to a publisher/agent.<br /><br />"The End" isn't just a couple words that ends the ms. Its a whole concept the author has to accept. It can be devastating, and invigorating, and ambiguous.<br /><br />......dholedolorahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715849844092553699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-49448624336975845642012-10-04T11:19:37.365-06:002012-10-04T11:19:37.365-06:00You said it best...."Oh writer OCD, how I loa...You said it best...."Oh writer OCD, how I loathe thee *shakes fist at the screen.*"<br />I had a hard time letting go of my last project, to finally accept it, and move on to another, but I did... for now. :DJackiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04526192448146446752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-86515256783730943252012-10-03T23:29:27.161-06:002012-10-03T23:29:27.161-06:00That writer OCD gets me too... so hard to finally ...That writer OCD gets me too... so hard to finally say a book is finished. I could tinker with my story forever. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-89050012670896070712012-10-03T22:56:54.340-06:002012-10-03T22:56:54.340-06:00There's always a point when I think that a pas...There's always a point when I think that a passage or chapter in my latest manuscript is really, really good. But later when I'm in the editing stages I find mistakes, or I think some sentences are mediocre, or that the scene is missing something -- can't quite put my finger on it. It seems that if you're not neurotic when you begin writing a story, you're definitely neurotic by the time you're finished.Helenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14967821142796562697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-13641277284803496452012-10-03T20:22:25.699-06:002012-10-03T20:22:25.699-06:00You and I seem to be channeling a similar insecuri...You and I seem to be channeling a similar insecurity this week. It's difficult to ever get it completely right, but you're correct when you say we do eventually have to abandon our manuscript *gulp* and move on.kimlajevardi.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15560936098715470719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-9004939084481635792012-10-03T19:41:28.162-06:002012-10-03T19:41:28.162-06:00I feel that way. However, it's just like child...I feel that way. However, it's just like children. You always feel they're never ready for the world on their own but you eventually have to let go.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12160669603997465454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-28332721923789059642012-10-03T18:31:07.966-06:002012-10-03T18:31:07.966-06:00It's amazing how many mistakes I still come ac...It's amazing how many mistakes I still come across. My current wip has been to a couple of beta readers and my primary cp has read it 3 times (!!!) and still there are typos and grammar errors that weren't caught the first fifteen times. To be honest? I'll be glad to let it go and start working on something else. mshatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06308916014310536449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-27983311006973468812012-10-03T15:04:42.841-06:002012-10-03T15:04:42.841-06:00I have writer OCD, too. It's getting easier to...I have writer OCD, too. It's getting easier to let them go lately. Although, I still hesitate before hitting 'publish', thinking I should read it one more time. Problem is, I'm no longer seeing it straight at that point.M Paxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14096697282530998519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-62485242534374404802012-10-03T14:05:51.306-06:002012-10-03T14:05:51.306-06:00I guess for people who self pub, they never abando...I guess for people who self pub, they never abandon their book. They are free to update it as often as they want even after publishing. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad one. At some point you just have to let go. Says the girl who has never published a novel. :/Elise Fallsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14734537117333738468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-5577952972585644442012-10-03T13:09:01.318-06:002012-10-03T13:09:01.318-06:00I still don't like the term "abandoning&q...I still don't like the term "abandoning" for a book, but I can see how it fits. There comes a point when we have to say enough and let it go. And everything can be rewritten, but if it can take time to learn when we shouldn't rewrite something and move on. :)Cherie Reichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-74079400273938718592012-10-03T11:46:54.462-06:002012-10-03T11:46:54.462-06:00I talked to my writer friend last night and said a...I talked to my writer friend last night and said almost the same thing. Writers could revise ENDLESSLY. You have to let it go at some point.Brindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09809660700359597836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-20803591892471538342012-10-03T11:27:03.808-06:002012-10-03T11:27:03.808-06:00Hi Michael
It truly is difficult to stop re-workin...Hi Michael<br />It truly is difficult to stop re-working your story. <br />NancyN. R. Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02174506528962095858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-55250637249972783802012-10-03T11:17:26.724-06:002012-10-03T11:17:26.724-06:00I don't like that term at all. You are so righ...I don't like that term at all. You are so right. We could rewrite sentences for the rest of our lives and never finish a book.Ciarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15628488753277495111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-27588375530510257622012-10-03T11:14:51.962-06:002012-10-03T11:14:51.962-06:00I resist the urge to go through a book 'one mo...I resist the urge to go through a book 'one more time' before sending it out the door. And I'm not too critical of finding the occasional mistake in a book because it's really impossible to catch every one.Susan Gourley/Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669793865290876168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-13019162418022260522012-10-03T10:32:16.047-06:002012-10-03T10:32:16.047-06:00There was an artist who had to be banished from th...There was an artist who had to be banished from the museum because he kept perfecting his piece. For something that doesn't fit under fact, how can we not think each word, sentence, chapter, character, and so on could be improved? Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-72915014981997859692012-10-03T10:24:26.344-06:002012-10-03T10:24:26.344-06:00Yeah, I get obsessive like that too. But when I re...Yeah, I get obsessive like that too. But when I really do come down to that point where I'm like Oscar Wilde -- putting a comma in in the morning and taking it out in the afternoon, I know it's time to move on and let someone else worry about it. Luanne G. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15762881276976395955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-2623190547114097232012-10-03T10:24:24.063-06:002012-10-03T10:24:24.063-06:00Monday night, Mr Bunches (the younger of our twins...Monday night, Mr Bunches (the younger of our twins, for those who don't know) was up late, unable to sleep, at about 9:30 p.m.<br /><br />He asked for a "Krabby Patty," which is a gummi treat shaped like Spongebob's famous burgers. He loves those things. He is addicted to them.<br /><br />I got him one and let him eat it and then said "Okay, now go to sleep."<br /><br />A little while later, he called for me and said "Can I have another Krabby Patty?"<br /><br />It was 9:45. I got him one, and said "After you eat that, go to sleep."<br /><br />About 10:15, he called me again and asked if he could have another Krabby Patty. I said "Okay, but this is the absolute last one. No more Krabby Patties" until tomorrow, because I am tough like that. (It's called "parenting.")<br /><br />As I gave him the Krabby Patty, he said "Last one," and I said "Yeah" and he looked at me with an expression of sadness and betrayal in his eyes because I have never before in six years told him he could not have more Krabby Patties. That look haunts me to this day.<br /><br />(Granted, it is only a few days later, but it haunts me.)<br /><br />The moral? I don't know. Something about something. Also, guilt.Brianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01616494058636881575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-82902972306916474672012-10-03T10:21:30.930-06:002012-10-03T10:21:30.930-06:00I totally understand what you're saying. I con...I totally understand what you're saying. I continue to edit old posts that no one even reads anymore. When I was an illustrator I knew when a picture was done; it was done when I realized I could only make my illustration different, not better. That was when I signed my name to the piece and that was that. It's been my experience that this sense of finality and completion doesn't happen with writing. stephen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659054447637207734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-63958493414756221872012-10-03T10:09:57.444-06:002012-10-03T10:09:57.444-06:00Tolkien never voluntarily published anything.Tolkien never voluntarily published anything.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-60894686853669638962012-10-03T10:07:44.868-06:002012-10-03T10:07:44.868-06:00Thanks for the label to my insanity.Thanks for the label to my insanity.farawayeyeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17578277501054242356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-84640850434250254952012-10-03T09:14:29.217-06:002012-10-03T09:14:29.217-06:00Writer OCD. Yep. That's me exactly. After this...Writer OCD. Yep. That's me exactly. After this round of revisions, I know I could go over it again, but I know it's good enough (I just joined the group and talked about this), but I have other stories to write and that will never happen if I keep looking back. It's as good as I know how to make it. If an agent or editor catches the magic and has ideas to make it better, I'm all ears. :)David P. Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17259276981865439853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-16152965621621592342012-10-03T08:44:10.101-06:002012-10-03T08:44:10.101-06:00It's a true quote. I've heard other author...It's a true quote. I've heard other authors word it slightly differently. One thing you hear a lot in a writing program is people asking guest writers/authors "How do you know when a book/article/poem is done?"<br /><br />They pretty much always say "It's never done. You just stop working on it."Callie Leuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09535505792102190920noreply@blogger.com